Teachers usually grade students based on some combination of test scores, presentations, and class participation. On a scale, these success measures range from more to less objective, respectively. Measuring class participation can prove challenging unless a teacher keeps meticulous notes about who is participating, and considering and marking an impression of the quality of such participation on each participatory occurrence.
In modern classrooms where more interaction between students happens online—in chat rooms, message, boards, or other virtual academic forums—the ability to measure the interactions objectively can be easier because the instructor has more time to evaluate content. But in a larger seminar, or an actively participating class, the burden for the evaluation increases, with a professor forced to sift through hundreds of responses.
With the challenge of grading this participation comes an added problem of identifying a student Who may be at risk. In collegiate classes where the objective test grade is done based on few tests or maybe only a final, the instructor may not realize that a student is at risk of failing until it is too late. Often a timely instructor intervention can save the at-risk student, resulting in improved student outcomes.